


The Act of Greed

by HellishSam



Category: Star Stable
Genre: M/M, hecc idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 13:05:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18739621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HellishSam/pseuds/HellishSam
Summary: Daine needs help with his burn out.





	The Act of Greed

Daine didn’t know why he kept coming back. Why was he coming back? Because he loved a man he tried to kill? Because they were of the same species? Daine didn’t know, but his skin prickled as he made his way into the purple circus tent late at night, and it wasn’t his scar this time.

 

Looking around, he made a quick observation the magician wasn’t in the middle of the ring like he usually was. In fact, there didn’t seem to be a trace of him. Though, despite the light in the middle of the ring, the rest of the tent was dark. But Daine felt the hair on his arms stand and his pupils quickly changed to slits, his irises turning purple, fangs quickly replacing his normal row of teeth. Even the claws that replaced his nails dug into his palms. Ydris was here alright.

 

“They always say I bring out the best in everyone, Daniel.” Daine had looked away for a second, but there the man was, leaning against the center pole, shuffling a hand of cards. “And I must say-” He stood up right, stuffing the cards in his pocket. “-I think I bring out the absolute best in you.”

 

Daine hated how Ydris talked about him, forcing him to show his more monstrous side now that he’d slipped up once. Daine knew he was nothing but a monster, but then what did that make Ydris? He certainly wasn’t saint, proof of that was the burn marks that ran up his neck. Sure they were fading now that it had been about a week since that accident with Concorde, but Daine hated the stab that he felt in his heart looking at it. He wanted to hate this man. He wanted to despise him.

 

“There’s no best in me, I thought out of all the people you’d understand that.” Daine growled, stepping in the ring, his horns having grown in now.

 

Ydris took Daine’s face in his hands, looking at him. Hot and cold raced through Daine at his touch. “Oh but you are a beautiful, beautiful phoenix. Destined to shine brighter than the rest, be their saviour, their hero, are you not?” He asked, tilting his head and looking straight into Daine’s eyes.

 

Daine held his gaze, biting back his tongue. “If they knew what I was, they’d be scared. Hell I’m scared of myself.” His heart skipped a beat at the deep chuckle that Ydris let out.

 

“Oh my Phoenix, of course they’ll be scared. Everyone is scared of what they don’t understand. But mortals, like your friends, are simply fascinated with the unreal and unnatural. Deep down they all have a sick desire to just see something unfamiliar.”

 

“They’ll leave me! Hell, maybe they’ll even kill me like the animal I am!” Daine cried, distress gripping at his throat like a noose. He kept thinking about how Willow looked at him after dragging him out of the circus tent. The fear in her eyes when she saw his claws, his slitted pupils, his prominent fangs. She said she was just seeing things, but Daine could sense the fear when she looked at him, how she’d grown further from him. It hurt.

 

“They won’t kill you, I won’t allow it.” Ydris narrowed his eyes, “You, won’t allow it.”He stepped back away from Daine and walked back into the middle of the ring.

 

“My powers are gone, Ydris. I used all I had on you.” He murmured that last part, he noticed the way Ydris flinched at the mention of it, like fire was still running through his veins.

 

“They aren’t gone, they’re just sore, like a muscle that’s been worked too hard. Now come here.” The showman said, purple magic dancing in his hand.

 

Daine stared at him for a moment, but slowly took a step forward, and then another, and another, until he found himself face to face with the Pandorian in front of him. They were so close now that Daine could almost see the dancing details of Ydris’ eyes. Like a cosmos he could never venture.

 

Before he knew it, Ydris pulled him for a kiss. Daine felt power course through his body, almost like a hand reaching out to stop him from falling. Something reaching to pull him up. And he answered. As he kissed the other back, Daine felt his power pulse through his body and explode in flames from his back. Feathers made of flames, beautiful flames made of different shades of orange, purple, and white. That was something new.

 

Ydris smiled against Daine’s lips. “My power is yours, as yours is mine.” Daine felt as if he could breathe again. He felt alive and well for the first time he had in weeks, almost as if his body healed all of its underlying wounds. What the hell did this magician do to him? What  _ was  _ he doing to him?

 

Despite these racing questions, greed got the better of the man. Daine pressed his lips to the other again, hungry for more power, more strength. He could feel his claws getting longer, his horns curling and growing in length. And Ydris let him, he let Daine press him against the center ring pole until they were both gasping for breath, tired from the energy spent of trading magic. 

 

A trail of sweat trailed down Ydris’ face as he smirked up at Daine, the light of the fire wings cascading across his face. “Don’t you see, Daniel? They have nothing to fear of you.”

 

Daine looked down at his hands, seeing them start to turn the purple color they had when he first started to close Pandoric rifts. He sighed, letting his wings fall away and his monstrous features sink back into his skin. “No. They will. And there’s nothing I can do.”

 

Ydris sighed, pulling Daine in for a hug and stroking his hair. “I will help you hide yourself from them. But my love, please know, I am always here for you.” Daine looked into Ydris’ eyes. For the first time in a long time, he saw that same, innocent look he saw when he tried to burn him. The showman persona fell away and Ydris was just another scared young being, just like him.

 

“Yeah, I know, I know.” Daine said, looking and trying to pull away, but Ydris pulled him back, forcing Daine to look into his eyes again.

 

“And do not forget…” He grasped Daine’s hand with his own. “Like calls to like.” The showman kissed the monstrous mortal yet again, sending coursing hot fire through Daine’s veins, and again, Daine embraced it more than ever.

 

The two balanced each other, feeding off one another. His power was Ydris’ just as much as Ydris’ was his.

 

_ Like calls to like. _


End file.
